The present invention relates in general to dispensers, and more particularly to a dispenser for rolls of paper or the like.
It is desirable to store a plurality of rolls of paper, such as toilet tissues, paper towels and the like so that a successive roll of paper is immediately available upon the depletion of the supply of paper on the dispensable roll. In so doing, the arrangement should be such that the succeeding roll does not contact the dispensable roll to impede or interfere with the free rotation of the dispensable roll.
Dispensers have been known in which a plurality of rolls of paper were stored in a dispenser in a column. A flexible plate was fixedly secured to a side wall of the dispenser to support a roll of paper in spaced relation to the dispensable roll of paper. However, such a flexible plate was secured at a predetermined fixed height at all times. A vertical opening was provided in the front wall of the dispenser. A finger was insertable into the opening by an operator to move the stored roll into the position of the dispensable roll of paper. The flexible plate, however, was bent by the movement of the roll of paper toward the side wall to which it was secured. Additionally, the free end of the succeeding roll of paper was suspended adjacent the rear wall into the area occupied by the dispensable roll of paper. As a consequence thereof, the free end of the succeeding roll of paper interfered with the rotation of the dispensable roll of paper and interlockng therewith.
In the dispenser heretofore known for containing a plurality of rolls of paper disposed in a column, the exit opening was formed in the bottom of the dispenser and a cutting edge was disposed at the lower edge of the front wall. In order to sever the free end of the dispensable roll of paper, the free end of the dispensable roll of paper was raised upwardly by the operator to be severed by the cutting edge. This arrangement resulted in inconvenience to the operator because the fingers and the hand of the operator had a tendency to be in the vicinity of the cutting edge.
The dispenser heretofore known for containing a plurality of rolls of paper disposed in a column had aligned openings formed in the side walls for the removal of a core of an expended roll of paper. However, such openings are formed with the ticket exit opening. When the paper of the dispensable roll of paper has been extensively expended, operating problems have occurred during the cutting operation for the want of confinement by the housing of such a dispensable roll of paper.